Pipe-fitting.



G. R. BYAM.

PIPE FITTING. v APPLIOATION FILED SEPT.6,1911.

Patented July 15, 1913.

Elmvawiioz #jigw- CHARLES R. BYAIVI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PIPE-FITTING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1913.

Application filed September 6, 1911. Serial No. 647,960.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAnLns R. BYAM, citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe-Fittings, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to adjustable elbow couplings and the main objectof the invention is the provision of a very simple, cheap and effectivecoupling, so formed that two adjacent pipe sections may be connectedtogether either in approximate alinement or at an angle to each other.

Another object is to so construct the coupling that the angle of thepipe sections to each other may be varied within an arc of approximately180.

Another object is to provide a coupling of the character described abovein which the sections of the coupling when locked shall be rigidly heldfrom movement in both directions, the device, however, being of suchcharacter that, if desired, the couplings may be loosely connected toeach other so as to yield to permit a constant change of angularrelation between the members of the coupling.

Another object is to provide a coupling adapted to connect pipe sectionswhich are not quite in alinement with each other.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the coupling and the portions of thepipe sections connected thereto, the members of the coupling being soarranged that the pipe sections are in approximate alinement with eachother. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the coupling, the members being arranged to form anelbow. Fig. 4c is a perspective view of the parts of the couplingseparated from each other.

Corresponding ahd like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawingsby the same reference characters.

In the drawings, 1 designates a coupling section forming a male memberand having an approximately cylindrical enlarged head. This member is ofcourse hollow and the head is slotted transversely to the axis of thehead as at 3, this slot having an angular length of approximately 128degrees. The head is also formed with the oppositely disposed lugs 4having convexly curved outer faces. It will be seen from Fig. 2 that thebody of the member is slightly curved so that the passage through themember and through the head is slightly angular and flaring toward theslot forming the opening in the head.

Coacting with the section 1 is the section 5 forming the female memberwhich is provided with an enlarged head 6 which is approximatelysemispherical, this head being hollowed out so as to form anapproximately semicylindrical socket 7 snugly fitting over and receivingthe head 2 and being rotatably movable upon the head 2, the interiorface of the socket being of course concentric to the exterior face ofthe head 2 when the male and female members of the coupling are fittedtogether. The inner face of the socket 7 is slotted as at 8, the slothaving an angular length of approximately 123 degrees. The exterior ofthe head 5 is screw threaded as at 9 and, as shown in Fig. 4:, the rimof the head 6 is formed with a projecting lip 10 whose inner face iscurved so as to be continuous with the inner face of the socket 7 andform a projecting continuation of the socket. It will be noted from Fig.2 that the axis of the passage through the member 5 is at an angle ofabout 15 to the face of the head 6 so that when the two sections of thecoupling are connected. as in Fig. 2, the passages in the members 1 and5 will be nearly in alinement.

The two sections of the coupling are held in engagement with each otherat any desired angle by means of the union nut 11 which is interiorlyscrew threaded and is provided at one end with the inwardly projectingflange 12. The nut 11 is adapted to be slipped over the member 1 andscrewed into engagement with the screw threads 9 upon the member 5, theflange 12 under these circumstances bearing against the curved faces ofthe lugs 4. By turning up this nut 11, the members 1 and 5 are drawninto snug engagement with each other and held in any adjusted position.

It will be seen that when the members are in engagement with each otherin any position, the slots 8 and 3 will register with each other, andthat the outer face of the head 2 being rounded and the inner face ofthe socket 7 being rounded, the members are adapted to be rotated withrelation to each other, while the faces of the head 9 and socket 7 areheld in close engagement. F urthermore it will be noted that by reasonof the length of the slots 3 and 8, the members may be givenconsiderable rotation with relation to each other without impeding thepassage through the coupling. Furthermore, it will be seen that onecoupling member may be reversed in position relative to the othercoupling, as shown in Fig. 3. It will further be obvious from Fig. 2that the coupling member 5 may be rotated upon the coupling member 1from a position where the passages are nearly in alinement to a positionwhere the passages have an angular relation to each other, and it willalso be plain that the member 5 may be rotated upon the member 1 throughan angular extent of about 90. It will further be obvious that though inFig. 3 the coupling members are arranged to form a U-shaped coupling,the curvature of this coupling might be varied to a relatively largedegree.

The angular relation of the coupling member 1 to the union 11 ispermitted by the convexly curved outer faces of the ears 4, thuspermitting the member 1 to rock upon the flange 12 as upon a bearing.

Inasmuch as the socket 7 and the head 2 are both semicylindrical and fitsnugly upon each other, it will be obvious that the coupling members cannot rotate upon each other around their axes, and it will also be plainthat the semicylindrical head fitting in the semicylindrical socketprevents any sidewise movement of the couplings relative to each other.

The lip 10 forms practically an extension of the wall of the socket 7,which extension closes the slot 3 in the head 2 when the couplingmembers are arranged in the position shown in Fig. 3. This lip 10therefore forms an apron which assists in closing the slot 3 and whichalso assists in holding the parts in rigid relation with each otherafter the union nut is in place.

vVhere it is desired to join two pipes which are not in absolutealinement, it is extremely difiicult to connect a coupling between thepipes. With my improved coupling, this connection between the pipes isvery easily made for the reason that the coupling members may be shiftedslightly with relation to each other when being applied to allow for aslight variation in alinement of the two pipes and then may be locked intheir proper position.

When it is desired to secure the sections of the pipe together which arein approximate alinement with each other, the member 1 is turned aroundand inserted in the memher 5 in a position reverse of that in which itis applied when the parts form an elbow or U as in Fig. 3. After thehead 2 is insorted within the socket 7 the union 11, which looselysurrounds the body of the coupling 1, may be screwed down in engage mentwith the screw threads 9 on the memher 5. When screwed tightly in place,the union nutholds the two parts of the coupling absolutely locked andwill prevent, when tightly screwed down, any movement of one couplingrelative to the other. If, however, it is desired that one couplingmember shall have a relatively slight movement relative to the other,the nut 11 need not be screwed down quite so tightly, and

under these circumstances the member 1 will rock upon the member 5.

hat I claim is:

1. A coupling comprising a hollow male member having a contracted neckand a relatively large approximately cylindrical head with flat ends andformed with an arcuate slot in the periphery of the head connecting withthe interior of the member, said slot extending nearly around the head,a female member having an enlarged head formed with an approximatelysemicylindrical socket having fiat ends and adapted to receive the headof the male member and also formed with an arcuate slot adapted toregister with the slot in the head of the female member when the membersare brought into engagement with each other, rounded lugs disposed uponthe ends of the male member, and a coupling collar surrounding the malemember and having screw threads engaging the exterior of the femalemember and being formed with a flange engaging the rounded faces of saidlugs to hold the members in rigid relation to each other but to permitan annular depression of the members with relation to each other.

2. A coupling comprising a hollow male member having an approximatelycylindrical head with flat ends, arcuate slot on its face connectingwith the interior of the member, said male member being curved, a femalemember having an enlarged head formed with an approximately semicylindrical socket having flat ends and adapted to receive the head of themale member, and also formed with an arcuate slot adapted to registerwith the slot in the head of the female member when the members arebrought in engagement with each other, the rim of the head of the femalemember being formed with a projecting lug whose inner surface forms acontinuation of the inner surface of said socket, said lug beingdisposed in alinement with the slot in said socket and being adapted tooverlie the end of the slot in the head of the male member when themembers are turned into angular relation to each other, the longitudinalaxis of the female member being at an acute angle to the face of theenlarged head thereof, and means carried by one member and adjustablyengaging the other member to hold the members in rigid relation to eachother.

3. A coupling comprising a hollow male member having an approximatelycylindrical head with fiat ends and formed with an arcuate slot on itsface connecting with the interior of the member, said male member beingcurved, a female member having an enlarged head formed with anapproximately semicylindrical socket having fiat ends and adapted toreceive the head of the male member and also formed with an arouate slotadapted to register with the slot in the head of the female member whenthe members are brought in en agement with each other, the rim of thehea of the female member being formed with a proj ect-ing lug Whoseinner surface forms a continuation of the inner surface of said socket,said lug being disposed in alinement with the slot in said socket andbeing adapted to overlie one end of the slot in the head of the malemember when the members are turned into angular relation to each other,the longitudinal axis of the female member being at an acute angle tothe face of the enlarged head, lugs disposed upon the end faces of themale member, and a coupling collar surrounding the male member andhaving a flange adapted to engage with said lugs, said collar beinginternally screw, threaded for engage ment with external threads uponthe periphery of the female member.

at. A coupling comprising a hollow male member having a contracted neckand an enlarged head having fiat sides, a female member having anenlarged circular head externally screw threaded and adapted to receivethe head of the male member, the peripheral face of the male member andthe interior end wall of the female member having mating grooves,oppositely disposed lugs projecting from the flat exterior side faces ofthe male member and disposed at the rear margin of the head thereof,each lug having a rounded face directed away from the extremity of thehead, and a circular collar loosely embracing the male member and havinga flange adapted to slidingly engage with the -I'Ol111d6d faces of thelugs, said collar being interiorly screw threaded for engagement withthe screw threads on the female member.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES R. BYAM. [L.S.] Witnesses:

HERBERT A. MONROE, W. I. MoCALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Washington, I). G.

Commissioner of Patents,

